JSwindoll's 1974 Marina Blue thread

[JSwindoll08]

[JSwindoll08]

Aright, update from today:

I spent the afternoon working on the bug. My goals were to remove the intake manifold/heat risers to get new gaskets/boots on it (obviously getting the carb off in the process) and document my process carefully with photos so I could get it all back together. I ran into a couple small snags along the way:

1. I broke a rusty bolt on the driver side heat riser. Gotta figure out how to get that out.

2. I couldn't actually get the manifold OUT. It's completely unhooked and ready for new gaskets/boots, but I realized I was going to have to take the alternator and possibly distributor off to get it all the way out. I started questioning if it was necessary to get it all the way out. My original intent was to get it out, sandblast or wire wheel it, paint it, and reinstall. I'm just not sure that it's worth doing all that at this point just to get a coat of paint on it. The rest of my engine bay isn't exactly show worthy, and I can replace the gaskets and boots as it sits now. Opinions? Photo attached.

I also noticed that my driver side end casting has what appears to be a vacuum port that was crushed and bent to create as seal by the PO. What's the deal with this and where would it have hooked up? Photo attached

I'd also like to say that I wouldn't have had the confidence to undertake this even 2-3 months ago. You guys have been so awesome in helping educate me about my car without even knowing it. Thanks to all of you.

[JSwindoll08]

quick question:

I'm ordering gaskets for my end castings and heat risers. Do you guys prefer the fiber gaskets or the metal crush gaskets?

[offtherailz1]

There’s a a few tried and tested ways to get that manifold out. It’s been a few years since I done mine but IIRC you need to remove the alternator. One way is to loosen or remove the alternator strap, remove the fan belt, which you’ll probably do in a service as well,if you’re not replacing, count the shims, chances are though you’ll need to adjust the belt though when you put it back together, but counting the shims is a good starting point if your belt was set correctly beforehand that is. Undo the four alternator plate bolts to remove the alternator and fan and you’ll be able to get the manifold out then, 5mins more , you’re nearly there anyway. Or, as you don’t have the flaps and thermostat connected, you could undo the two tinware screws on each end of the fan shroud, you don’t need to remove them completely, loosen the alternator strap, remove the belt and lift the shroud up and remove the manifold.

So have snapped one of the bolts for the riser into the exhaust and it’s still in the exhaust? If so, it can fixed. You can drill out what you can get out and then tap the hole for a new bolt. I suspect though that means buying the tools to do that, they’re cheap enough but do you need them?? What condition is your exhaust? Is it likely to need replacing soon? Maybe worth just spending a bit more on a new or good used exhaust than more tools you may not use? I bet you have someone near you that has one for beer tokens.

That inlet casting is odd, not seen one tapped before with something actually in it, but you definitely have a bus centre manifold, and not having owned a bus I can’t help, sorry.

As for gaskets I use the white fibre ones on my heat riser tins, and crush between exhaust and the actual riser.
_________________
“ My worry is, that if I die suddenly, my wife will sell everything VW for what she thinks I paid for it.”

Cuppa tea man, living in a latte world.

1973 1303, one previous owner, my Dad
1975 1303, Fourth owner, mum 1975 to 2014, me from 2017
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=711269&highlight=
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=740901

[JSwindoll08]

[Pruneman99]

If you get a left handed drill bit you can extract that broken bolt. I've done it twice, and didn't need to re-tap the hole.

Use a spring loaded center punch to make a divot in the end of the broken bolt. Select a small left handed bit and carefully drill down the center of the broken bolt. You don't need a bit anywhere near the size of the broken bolt. Maybe 1/3 of the diameter.

Both times I had a set of ez-outs ready, but as I drilled it relived the pressure on the bolt, and they actually came out with the drill bit.

HF has a small set of left handed bits for like $10 or so.

[JSwindoll08]

Update!

I've bee waiting on parts to come in to complete what I started. My rebuilt carb is in, and I decide to go ahead and take the plunge and get a rebuilt distributor too. Now I'm just waiting on a few gaskets and vacuum lines to come in.

I wanted to take a second and talk about my experience with the guys I got these rebuilt parts from. All 3 guys communicated quickly and clearly and went above and beyond to help a new mechanic like myself get setup with the correct parts .

First, I bought my Solex 34 pict 3 from Brandon at No Name Garage in Eugene, Oregon. He sent it to me to get cleaned up before I sent it to Tim at Volksbitz. I'm fairly certain a fair amount of you guys have cars that he's worked on, right? Anyway, he installed new throttle shaft bushings as well as his barbed, threaded fuel inlets for me. I opted to not have him do his cosmetic work to the carb as this car isn't a show car and I could use that extra $$ on more parts! He was nice enough to breakdown the carb and check my work, where he found several things that I missed and fixed them for me.

I got my distributor from Bill at Sparxwerks.com Same deal, I had him just do the mechanical work to the distributor. I'm sure he's tired of me asking a million questions, but he never showed it and was extremely easy to work with.

If you ever need carbs or distributors.... I highly recommend these guys. They do fantastic work at reasonable prices and quickly, too! Not to mention they've forgotten more about VWs than I'll ever know.

can't wait for WW and CIP1 to stop being slow AF with shipping so I can get this stuff installed.

Also, I need to get a tachometer to use while tuning everything. Do you guys suggest any certain style/ brand?

[JSwindoll08]

Alright guys,

I got everything put back together a few days ago. Here's what I did:

-Installed newly rebuilt Solex 34 pict 3 carb
-installed newly rebuilt german SVDA distributor, added vacuum line to distributor
-Replaced the old, cracked intake manifold boots
-Replaced all applicable gaskets


The car turns over but won't actually fire up. I pulled the fuel line coming out of the fuel pump and turned the engine over manually... no fuel coming out. So I'm not getting fuel to the carb. I hopped under the car and unhooked the soft fuel line from where it attaches to the hard line coming out of the tunnel. Fuel poured out from there, so I feel confident in the fact that there isn't an issue between the tank and where the hard line comes out of the tunnel.

Is it possible that its anything other than a bad fuel pump?

[VW_Jimbo]

Hoses reversed?
_________________
Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[Marinablau703]

Nice looking car! I'm kinda partial to the color! My '70-73 isn't nearly as pretty, not even a 20 footer, but it does the job.

The black dust from an earlier post could be your belt disintegrating. Given the importance of it, and the cost of a new one, I'd replace it. Sitting for years doesn't serve the material well.

Going as in-depth to the engine as you are, I'd recommend pulling it. I pulled mine yesterday for a freshening and it took a little over 2 hours, my first time ever dropping one of these engines; much of that time was spent figuring out the right height to get the car up. The first time, it was lifted too high and the jack couldn't reach the engine. This way, you can access everything you need to with ease, replace exhaust as needed, and same for the pushrods. I much prefer doing all that work out in the open on a stand or bench than in the car.

If it were me, I'd leave the oil bath air cleaner. Very few people would know it doesn't belong; most can't tell the difference between a '63 and a '03.

My fuel pump also failed last week, as evidenced by fuel in the oil. Check yours.

[JSwindoll08]

Jimbo, I double checked the hoses and they're in the right spot. That's definitely something I'd screw up though lol!

Marinablau703, I'm not sure what you're talking about. That's a good looking bug!

Pulling the engine is definitely in my future. My engine bay rubber is bad and I need some new gaskets in the engine as its fairly leaky. Nothing that's alarming, I'd just like to lessen it if I can. I may actually try to drop it this summer. I dunno... it's a little intimidating to me right now.

Also, I replaced the belt when I started driving it again, so it's less than a year old and in good shape. Less than 100 miles on it. I thought that's what was happening as well, so that's why I changed it.

As far as the fuel getting to the carb... it seems to get there intermittently. Before I disassembled everything, it wouldn't get fuel one day and then it would get it the next when I turned the engine over. Any thoughts on that? Is it possible for a fuel pump to act like that when it's on it's way out?

[VW_Jimbo]

Then, R & R that fuel pump. Betting the diaphragm is going slowly.
_________________
Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[wcfvw69]

[Rome]

JSwindoll, did you manage to get the intake manifold out for its refresh, or will you wait for the future when you take the engine out and take the fan shroud off together with the alternator? Sandblasting the manifold and especially the outer surfaces of the preheat pipes will be effective, but you also need to blow air through either of the preheat pipes to verify that they are not clogged up inside from carbon. The sandblasting of the preheat pipes will get the rust off, but the rust has created pockmarks and craters which will still remain. You can use a fine file or 100 grit sandpaper to smooth down the preheat pipe surface; you only need to do that on the sections visible from the rear. I redid a manifold like yours in 2019 and did not bother with the pipe sections that face frontward.

Shoot your blaster tip into the manifold's large pipes also:

As to your air cleaner- I agree that you can keep your oil bath. KAmes' even has the weighted flap on his. When I prepared the intake manifold for my 1600, I freshened up an old air cleaner like yours by repainting with semi-gloss black, a new sticker which I carefully positioned to be in the center, and reformed the air intake snout because it was slightly ovaled. Mine was missing the flap.

I also fitted the stovepipe as others have mentioned, finding one for a few dollars at a swap meet. It has 2 attachment points- one goes to the muffler stud so that you'll need to first remove the 13 mm nut. Careful- use nut splitter, heat + good penetrant. The other point is one of the screws that goes along the rear edge of your right cylinder tin. The stovepipe does pass through that sunken larger hole to the right rear of your crank pulley.

For reference, here's a stock engine in a '74 Beetle with 31,000 miles that I photo'd in Oct. 2018. Note that the intake manifold has double preheat pipes, which is for the California market where the car was sold new.

[JSwindoll08]

Rome, thanks a lot for the informative post! I never managed to get the intake manifold out, but like I said a few posts back... I'll have to drop the engine sooner or later. I'll take care of getting the manifold cleaned up at that point! Thats a beautiful engine bay you've got there....I hope to have mine looking like that one day.

Bill, I think that's what happened to mine. I'll be getting with you soon about that fuel pump I emailed you about.

[Rome]